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2025 Car Mileage with the Best Gas Mileage2025 Buick Enclave vs Honda Pilot
The Honda Pilot and Buick Enclave both offer excellent safety features and interiors, but one stands out as the clear winner in our comparison.Family SUVs For All
“My cup runneth over” is a phrase that comes to mind when considering the three-row SUV segment. So many choices! Within this cornucopia of SUVs to choose from there is still a strong distinction between mainstream models like a Honda Pilot and luxury liners from the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. But there is an in-between slice of this pie, a so-called premium segment that leans luxury but hews closer to mainstream pricing.
It is a space occupied by compelling SUVs like the Buick Enclave. All-new for 2025 with more chiseled styling in line with its Chevy Traverse sibling, the elegant Enclave is an interesting cross-shopper against the Honda Pilot. Relatively new itself, as of 2023, the Pilot has long been a standard bearer of the practical three-row SUVs so coveted by families. But for families who want a touch more lux without the sticker shock of a BMW, the Enclave is worthy of consideration.
Specs
Honda fits every 2025 Pilot, which we review here, with a naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 making 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Lashed to a 10-speed automatic, it is rated for 22 mpg combined in standard FWD guise or 21 with the available AWD system.
Over at Buick, the 2025 Enclave comes with a turbocharged 2.5L inline-4 making quite a bit more power at 328 hp and 326 torques. An 8-speed automatic handles shifting duty and this more potent engine edges the Pilot in fuel economy at 23 mpg combined with FWD or 21 when the optional AWD setup is fitted.
Driving and Performance
In both the Pilot and Enclave, drivers are likely to find a ride tuned for comfort with independent suspension all around. Only the Honda offers a model aimed at off-roading with the TrailSport that features all-terrain tires, skid plates, and a mild suspension lift. But only the Buick makes adaptive dampers available on its top-spec Avenir trim designed for ultra-cushy cruising.
So depending on your priorities, each of these SUVs does offer distinct advantages. Towing capacity tops out at 5,000 pounds in both cases and for those planning a bit of stoplight racing, figure on about 7 seconds in the 0-60 sprint for both the 2025 Honda Pilot and Buick Enclave.
Comfort and Interior
There are two key distinctions when it comes to comparing the cabins in this Buick Enclave vs. Honda Pilot matchup. With the Buick, seating tops out at 7 as second-row captain’s chairs are the only setup. In the Honda, you can fit 7, or 8 with the available bench seat across the middle.
However, the Enclave is quite a bit larger from a cargo perspective at 97 cubic feet max and 23 cubes behind the third row versus 87 and 19 cubic feet, respectively, in the Pilot. Second- and third-row legroom is identical at 41” and 32”, respectively, and while the usual offerings of leather, automatic climate control, and climatized seating are on hand in both SUVs, only the Buick has available massaging front seats.
Trims and Features
The 2025 Honda Pilot starts at $40,200 for a Sport model with 20” wheels, LED lighting, heated front seats, a 7” central touchscreen, and wireless smartphone integration. Like all 2025 Pilots, forward collision mitigation, a lane-keeping system, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control are standard. For $43,500, the Pilot EX-L adds a power-operated liftgate, leather upholstery, a 9-speaker audio system, and a 9” central display.
TrailSport trim comes in at a bit more than $49,000 and offers more off-road capability, while the $47,500 Touring trim boasts a hands-free liftgate, a Bose 12-speaker stereo, and navigation. Elite Pilots start at $53,080 and come loaded with AWD, climatized front seats, heated second-row seats, a head-up display, and a digital gauge cluster, while Black Edition model tacks on the darkened treatment for $54,580.
The 2025 Buick Enclave starts quite a bit higher at $46,395 for the Preferred model but is also more highly equipped with 20” rims, a hands-free liftgate, a heated steering wheel and front seats, a Bose 12-speaker audio system, and a surround-view monitor. Arguably the Enclave’s main differentiator, however, is the standard 30” wide digital screen encompassing the gauge cluster and infotainment interface that integrates wirelessly with smartphone and features Google built-in.
Buick matches the Honda for standard driver aids, but adds on the Safety Alert Seat, traffic sign recognition, and blind spot monitoring with steering assistance. Plus, Super Cruise hands-free driving tech can be optioned on any 2025 Enclave. Sport Touring trims start at $48,795 and is basically added black trim and cabin frills, while the $59,395 Avenir is loaded with 22” wheels, adaptive headlights, a panoramic moonroof, massaging and climatized front seats, quilted leather, and a 16-speaker Bose audio system.
The Verdict
Though the 2025 Buick Enclave has a higher starting price than the 2025 Honda Pilot, it is better equipped than the base Pilot and the same is true against the similarly priced Pilot Touring model. The NHTSA has awarded both of these three-row SUVs 5 stars for overall safety and while only the Pilot comes with an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating, the latest Enclave does earn top scores in IIHS crashworthiness test protocols.
If 8 seats are a requirement or you plan to take your family vehicle down rougher terrain than the average dirt road, the Honda Pilot is the only vehicle here to meet those criteria. It also starts some $6,000 below the Enclave. But in the $46,000-$50,000 range, the latest Enclave offers quite a bit more for the money than the Pilot, making it the clear winner here.
